The Purpose of the Lord

Proverbs 19:21

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

What a humbling and comforting statement. It is humbling to remember that, however clever and powerful we may think we are, our plans only serve the plan of the Lord. The rebellion of the wicked serves God’s purposes. The service of the righteous is carried out by his sovereign will. How he carries out his will is mystery. What his plans are remain hidden to us except the purpose of his glory through our redemption. Let us remember this as we plan and try to maneuver outcomes to fit what we think should be. It is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

This is a comforting statement to the redeemed. We are comforted to know that however it may seem that Satan’s purpose is being carried out, all is working to fulfill the Lord’s purpose. Our redemption is secure for the purpose of the Lord will stand. And it is comforting to know that all that is required of us is to do what is right and not to resort to what we think will be effective. We do not need to lie to protect ourselves; we do not need to manipulate others to get them to make a confession; we do not need to use the means of the world to get the world on our side and defeat our enemies. We simply need to be obedient to our Lord. It is he who will see that his purpose will stand.

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